1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to drag racing vehicles and in particular to a loading device which increases the traction on the vehicle wheels during acceleration. More particularly, the invention relates to a wheel loading bar and its mounting arrangement on a leaf spring of a drag racing car which gains leverage from the device to force the rear vehicle driving wheels down onto the pavement to increase the traction of the tires during acceleration.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The popularity of drag racing vehicles has increased considerably over the years with vehicles and equipment being devised and used to provide the driver and vehicle with a competitive advantage. The drag racing vehicles or "dragsters" start from an at rest position and experience a large acceleration at the instant of start as the dragster moves from its starting point downwardly along the race track.
The large starting acceleration transfers much of the vehicle weight to the rear of the car which forces the vehicle rear driving wheels down onto the pavement increasing the traction between the tires and pavement. The greater the amount of traction obtained during this initial acceleration, greater will be the drivers chance of winning the race when the other factors are equal. This acceleration and weight transfer, however, tends to raise the front wheels of the vehicle off the pavement, which if excessive, effects the efficiency of the vehicle.
Various bar constructions and devices have been used in the past on the rear portion of race cars to keep the front wheels of the vehicle from rising excessively high into the air. These bar devices have wheels or rollers mounted on the rearwardly extended ends of the bars with the wheel being spaced a short distance above the ground behind the vehicle when in a static condition. The wheels engage the ground immediately upon acceleration of the vehicle due to the weight transfer thereof, which restrains the continued upward movement of the front wheels of the vehicle. These known bar devices, however, are firmly attached to the body chasis or directly to the axle housing by welding or bolted brackets. Due to this rigid mounting of the bars to a fixed part of the vehicle, these bar devices have a tendency to unload the chasis weight from the vehicle rear wheels and reduce the traction torque thereon by transferring some of the weight to the wheel or roller of the bar device, thus decreasing traction between the race tires and roadway.
Furthermore, these known bar devices do not permit rapid adjustment with respect to their mounting position on the vehicle to provide change in the traction effect and operating conditions of the vehicle to meet changes in race track conditions. Such permanent mountings of prior devices in many installations require welding or drilling of mounting holes in portions of the vehicle which is both troublesome and expensive.
No wheel loading bar device of which we are aware provides for adjustably mounting a wheel loading bar on the leaf spring of the rear wheel suspension system rearwardly and adjacent to the rear wheel axle which limits the upward lift of the vehicle front wheels, and in which the deflection experienced by the rear leaf spring due to the torque loading and rotation of the differential housing upon sudden acceleration of the vehicle is transferred by the loading bar device and forces the rear wheels down on the pavement with increased force, momentarily increasing the traction of the tires.